The Taihape Daily Times AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE. WEDNESDAY, JUNE 9, 1915. ROAD METAL.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume 7, Issue 222, 9 June 1915, Page 4

The Taihape Daily Times AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 9, 1915. ROAD METAL.

' (With which is i»corpprated The Taihape Poet una Waimaririo News.)

The discussion at the last Borough Council meeting respecting an adeuate and cheaply acquired supply of road metal of good quality was timely and of more than ordinary interest, not only to ratepayers, but to every resident of the Borough and all surrounding settlers who visit the town. It is an accepted fact that the state of the streets of this town suffer by comparison , with many roads under the control of the Eangitikei County Council, and Upper Wangaehu Eoad B ard. The | metal used for some years past is laek-,'-ing in several of the desirable qualities ' -ipossessed by the metal proposed to be .'Secured from Ohingaiti, and every -.yard of it placed on our much trafficked i r&fctroug&f ares means so much money -wauced. Experience is a good' teacher, and experience has proved that Taihape metal is not all that is desired to fou'in-smd maintain a good, solid, wearing surface/ The traffic in the Borough is increasing, so that, apart . from 'Qther considerations, every effort will idouixtless be imade by the special .committee appointed ;lt the meeting to remedy matters by acting on suggestions with /respect to Local metal, and in obtaining supplies from the railway pits at Ohingaiti. The .Borough appear* to be in & position f> give effect to a valuable proposal, the question of iinance ?promises to the only deterrent to obtaining unlimi + -ed supplies, of a desirable class, at a reasonable outlay. The roads have been f" starved "during -the past two ,winters; at every period of wet weatL'P l " scrapers have been used to clear th \ mud; the foundation of the roads has been impaired in this, maaner and. qualified -civil: engineers Have appirisedr- us/ of this by discarding the piw time generaliy -road sleepers. , In ' dry yeather loosened etones been ! gathered loayng : the road surface to a Mitt; further depleted state. What th* jhfip* 9f i»smetal thus put or and

taiftti off ru»-s into each year would be interesting to know, but it is easy to see that there would be an enormous saving in using ■& metal of first-class qualify, such m "that at Ohingaith Its usefulness, nroffiay and labour saving quality is imitated in the fact that T&ranaki locul bodies send hundreds of -miles for it nnd use it in preference to metal obtainable from pits easier of access and cheaper to work-. Cr. Healey placed the position in favour of the better-class metal in a "luminous and convincing manner when be stated, in comparing the cost of Ohingaiti and Taihaspe metals, '' The Ohingaiti metal. woiilfi cost much more to 'break and; spread, as only a quarter of the TaM hapo metal had to be broken, the rest coasted of small soft -stones a»3 dirt.'' A good article is cheapest in the end. Ohingaiti metal will cost, nn&er; the proposed arrangements, little more than what has 'been paid for the ■wretched unsuitable 'stuff used for. years J past, and its better wearing qualities I will render it far more economical in I the end, to say ndtning of the comfort of good roads. The iron should be struck while it "Is liot, and we have no doubt that if the special committee finds itself unable to place a large order with the Railway Department, it will be because financial difficulties are Of an insurmountable character..